itlawwikiaorg-20200214-history
Facial recognition
Definitions Facial recognition (also called face recognition) is Facial recognition is "any technology that is used to extract data from facial images."Facing Facts: Best Practices for Common Uses of Facial Recognition Technologies, at 1 n.2. Overview "Facial recognition used locally employs a mobile device's camera to take a picture of a user's face and compare it against data of the same user's facial characteristics captured during enrollment/registration. This authentication mechanism is offered natively by some mobile device platforms and the necessary hardware sensors are built into many mobile devices."NISTIR 8080, at 17. The technology is typically used to compare a live facial scan to a stored template, but it can also be used in comparing static images such as digitized passport photographs. Facial recognition can be used in both verification and identification systems. In addition, because facial images can be captured from video cameras, facial recognition is the only biometric that can be used for surveillance purposes. Facial images can be used in situations where fingerprints cannot be taken. Capturing facial images provides a non‐contact form of identification/verification for situations where physical contact may not be possible or practical for whatever reason. Capture of facial images can be done at a distance and therefore provides the capability for covert mobile identification operations. Capturing facial images may be of more value than taking fingerprints in some circumstances. For example, known or suspected terrorist databases or other watch lists may be more likely to contain facial images than fingerprints. Algorithms The two primary algorithms used in facial recognition systems are based on the eigenface method and local feature analysis (LFA). The eigenface method looks at the face as a whole and represents a person’s face as a set of templates that require 1,300 bytes. LFA breaks down the face into feature — specific fields, such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks, creating an 84 byte template. Privacy Given the state of face recognition technology, a privacy protection assessment would seek to identify the implementation options and potential match errors and use the information about these options and potential errors to inform the decision-making process of the biometric system. Limitations in technology are not in themselves absolute barriers to privacy protective system design and operations. Limitations such as lighting conditions, the quality of photographs that might be used, and varying facial expressions, should be identified, understood, and the likely effects of those limitations should be measured and accommodated so that both the individual and the organization can accurately assess the significance of the system’s functioning and place the results into the proper context. References Sources * Face Facts: A Forum on Facial Recognition Technology. * Information Security: Challenges in Using Biometrics, at 7. * Privacy and Biometrics: Building a Conceptual Foundation, at 15-16. See also * An Ethical Framework for Facial Recognition * Digital Signage Privacy Standards * Face Facts: A Forum on Facial Recognition Technology * FacE REcognition Technology program * Face Recognition Technology: FBI Should Better Ensure Privacy and Accuracy * Face Recognition Vendor Test * Facial Analysis, Comparison, and Evaluation Services * Facial recognition technology * Facing Facts: Best Practices for Common Uses of Facial Recognition Technologies * U.S. Government Facial Recognition Legal Series Category:Technology Category:Security Category:Definition Category:Biometrics